Construction is beginning eight months ahead of schedule on the final phase of the County Road 42 expansion project in Tecumseh.
Work is getting underway on Phase 5 of the reconstruction project that will widen County Road 42 from two lanes to four lanes between the Banwell Road roundabout and the City of Windsor boundary, just east of Lauzon Road.
County of Essex Chief Administrative Officer Sandra Zwiers says the magnitude and impact of these projects is huge.
“This area of the county and its proximity to Windsor and a number of major industries in the county and the city-a lot of people are travelling to this nucleus in the region, and you’re correct, an improvement on 42 means life on E.C. Row and south of us on 46 are a bit easier as well,” he says.
The $9.7 million worth of work will also see new storm sewers and a water main installed along with new sidewalks, curbs, streetlighting, and landscaping.
Major construction on the final phase is expected to continue until December 2026 and then resume in spring 2027. The expectation is the work will be completed by late spring or early summer 2027.
County of Essex Project Manager Daniel Baggio says there may be some road closures and detours for a short period of time during the work.
“It’s possible; it’s a worse-case scenario. We are working with our partners. Windsor Utilities is putting in a new water main that needs to cross both lanes of the road. In order for the contractor to do that, they may need to close the road; however, we’re working with them on a detour or bypass plan so we can hopefully keep one lane open,” he says.
The five-phase project to upgrade County Road 42 from Manning Road to the City of Windsor boundary is expected to cost $90 million to $100 million once complete.
Baggio says once this is complete, this will change the way people travel through this corridor due to the increased volume they’re able to accommodate.
“In addition to the active transportation elements that we have, the bike lanes and the sidewalks. It will be a much more pleasant urban commute as opposed to its previous look, which was a true county road with roadside ditches and one lane in each direction,” he says.
The work is starting eight months ahead of schedule after Phase 4, which widened County Road 42 between Lesperance Road and Banwell Road, was completed more than a month ahead of schedule.
Phase 3 also wrapped up one month ahead of schedule. The work involved the installation of a roundabout at County Road 42 and County Road 19/Manning Road, which opened to traffic in September 2025.